3 scams that can leave you with credit card debt

Scams aimed at swindling consumers out of their money are perpetrated every day. The [1] Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center, recently logged its 2 millionth complaint about online criminal activity. Other scams are perpetrated by phone or even with letters sent through the mail.

Among the scams making the rounds that can boost your [2] credit card debt or empty a bank account are:

• [3] Debt settlement services. So many Americans are desperate to get out of debt that they become easy prey for people claiming to offer [4] help with debt. While there are legitimate agencies offering debt help, there are others out there looking to prey on people. Avoid working with companies that make outrageous claims about their success rates or require large upfront payments before providing any services.
• Hijacked email and social network accounts. Someone hacks into an individual’s account and sends messages to all the contacts claiming that the account holder has been robbed and stranded in a foreign city. The desperate plea for help asks recipients of the message to send money.
• Solicitations from charities. Many charitable organizations step up efforts to solicit donations at the end of the year. Callers urge you to support their organization and try to convince you to use a credit card to make a donation. Fake organizations often use a name that sounds very similar to legitimate charities. Anytime you receive a solicitation from a charity verify that it is a legitimate group before donating.

Show restraint when giving money

Be skeptical of individuals or companies that approach you unsolicited and ask for money. While many legitimate companies are constantly marketing their services and products, it always pays to check out any unfamiliar organization you are thinking of supporting before handing over any money.

Article printed from DebtHelp.com Blog: http://www.debthelp.com/blog

URL to article: http://www.debthelp.com/blog/2010/11/19/3-scams-that-can-leave-you-with-credit-card-debt/

URLs in this post:
[1] Internet Crime Complaint: http://www.ic3.gov/media/2010/101115.aspx
[2] credit card debt: http://www.debthelp.com/kc/credit-card-debt-avoiding-temptation.html
[3] Debt settlement: http://www.ic3.gov/media/2010/101115.aspx
[4] help with debt: http://www.debthelp.com/blog/2010/11/08/where-to-look-for-credit-debt-relief/

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